Sarkozy to meet rebel Libyan envoys

PARIS, March 9 (Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy
is to meet on Thursday with two envoys from Libya's rebel
leadership, on the eve of a European Union summit, his office
said on Wednesday.

The Elysee presidential palace said the meeting with the two
Libyans would provide a "chance to discuss the general situation
in Libya, and in particular the humanitarian situation and the
actions of the Libyan National Council."

France and Britain last week called the emergency EU summit
on Friday to work on a humanitarian and political response to
the crisis in Libya. [ID:nLDE71R2ID]

The two countries have spearheaded efforts to get United
Nations authority for a no-fly zone over Libya, although Western
allies have appeared divided on both the idea and how it would
be implemented. [ID:nLDE72713B]

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has also dispatched emissaries
to foreign capitals ahead of the EU summit, with one envoy
meeting on Wednesday with Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis
Amado. [ID:nLDE7282HL]

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Libyan
government emissaries also appeared to have flown to Brussels to
talk to EU and NATO officials. [ID:nLDE72822H]

An Elysee official said France had received no requests to
meet with Gaddafi's envoys and that in any case "there is not a
lot of enthusiasm" to meet with them.
(Reporting by Yann Le Guernigou and Emmanuel Jarry; Writing by
Leigh Thomas; Editing by Janet Lawrence)